Maria

October 24th Bangkok

Providing Air Canada Flight Attentants do not strike the day I plan to leave Edmonton, and providing Bangkok is not under water from the worst flooding in recent history and providing the road to Cambodia is not flooded out and providing Cambodia Seam Reap is passable I will be be leaving this country. My expected departure date is Saturday October 22nd. A short juant to Vancouver with time for a little visit and my last North American meal before 2 days of airline food. Crossing my fingers, at 2:30am my flight leaves for Hong Kong, few hours there then to Bangkok to arrive Monday at 10:30 am hmm that's roughly 17.5 hours flight time and 10.5 hours layover; I hear the Bangkok airport will be protected from any pending flooding and the hotel should be okay.... here's hoping my pickup is in a 4 wheeled vehicle running on gas not in a row boat.

I am meeting up with Megan, my cool "hippie" friend I met traveling in the Middle East a few years back and am so looking forward to traveling once again with her.

My forth time visiting Bangkok will be much shorter than in the past; one "sleepy jet lag day" and one "okay get your butt in gear and go" before heading to Cambodia- that is the plan. It will be interesting to see how much the city has changed in the past 12 or so years since my last visit. Will the drive from the airport relax me or drive me to close my eyes and do a 100 hail Mary? Were the concerns over transit, traffic and pollution ever resolved? Is the food still as incredible as I remember? Will I remember the little green peppers floating in my soup are really really hot and not recommended for consumption by anyone that has not already killed all sensation in their digestive tract? Is poverty still rampant?

October 26 to 28 Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) Cambodia

Yes, if I really want to see the world and all its glory; I need to endure the good and the not so good; at least I say that today relaxing comfortably in my house back home. Like all my trips before, this day will be an early wake up, which is fine cause who sleeps after traveling 28 hours across a few time zones where day becomes night and night becomes day to land in a country that is more than likely 30C hotter than the one she just left; then two days later jump on a bus for a wee bit of a drive, 10 hours give or take? This is good time to relax, sleep, read, bond with fellow travelers or my favorite, gaze with wonder of the world passing by, contemplate life here and how uniquely different from my own, how fortunate I am for what I have and how fortunate for those here for perhaps a somewhat harder but perhaps simpler life.Really are we that different?We work to sustain our economic standing in the community, we busy ourselves with ensuring our house is in order, food's on the table, clothes on our backs. Enough about that….on to the trip.

Our destination is Siem Reap in northern Cambodia which is nearest Angkor Archaeological Park.The park declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. Stretching over 400 square kilometers, it contains the remains of several Khmer Empire capitals of the 9th - 15th centuries, including the largest pre-industrial city in the world. The most famous are the Temple of Angkor Wat and the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom.

Angkor Wat was built in a mountain-like pyramidal shape and topped by five towers, representing the five peaks of Mount Meru; the Hindu concept of the temple-mountain; and is surrounded by a moat. The linga (carved, table-like blocks of stone), represents the god Shiva. Most kings wanted to build their own state temples to symbolize their kingdom and their rule which added a political element to the structure.

While early Angkor temples were built as Hindu temples, Jayavarman VII converted to Mahayana Buddhism c. 1200 and embarked on a prodigious building spree, building the new capital city of Angkor Thom including Bayon, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and many more as Buddhist structures. However, his successor Jayavarman VIII returned to Hinduism and embarked on an equally massive spree of destruction, systematically defacing Buddhist images and even crudely altering some to be Hindu again. Hinduism eventually lost out to Buddhism again, but the (few) Buddha images in the temples today are later Theraveda additions.

We travel ~6 hours by private bus to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. Along the way is a town called Skuon, famous for edible spiders which are similar to the North American tarantulas. The road-side street vendors use large woks filled with oil to deep-fry the crispy critters. The spiders are breed in holes in the ground and sometimes a few spiders get away, with my luck it will be the spiders eating me not the other way around. Have to remember to pack the sandals and wear shoes this day; for some reason insects like me or more "like to bite"me (yes I remember the typo from India).This time I just might bite back.

I know today will be a sad day as we being with a guided tour of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former school which served as a Khmer Rouge torture centre then to the Choeung Ek Memorial, where a stupa made up of some 8,000 human skulls marks the site of the infamous Killing Fields. Our perception on world events viewed through the tube or a movie screen can be emotional for that brief time; to be in the very spot were the atrocity occurred and visualize the pain suffered by so many is heart breaking; I am expecting more than few tears to flow.

On the lighter period of the country's history, a visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, gander through the Russian Market and the National Museum or a stroll along the famous Sisowath Quay.

October 31 Chau Doc

Xin Chao! Welcome to Vietnam.

Leaving Phnom Penh, we board a boat for our picturesque journey along the river to the border and into Chao Doc, Vietnam (~4-6 hours).

With large Chinese, Cham and Khmer communities, Chao Doc's cultural diversity is apparent in the many mosques, temples and churches that dot the town. There's excellent Vietnamese food to try here, as well as a wonderful waterfront where you can see various floating houses, home to many local families.

November 1-3 Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the hub of southern Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of just over six million people. The city is characterized by a vast array of sights and sounds: ancient pagodas, mosques and cathedrals sit squarely up against the former Presidential Palace, the War Museum, historic Dong Khoi Street and the bustling markets of Ben Thanh and Cholon (Chinatown). Much of the city's life takes place on the busy streets lined with stores, shops, stalls and vendors with their wares spread out on the footpath selling everything from soup to sophisticated electronics! The French influence is evident in the excellent baguettes and coffee.

The Cu Chi Tunnels played a vital part in the war, allowing the Viet Minh to control a large rural area only 30 to 40 km from Ho Chi Minh City. At its height, the tunnel system stretched from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cambodian border. This network included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers as well as kitchens.

November 4 -5 Hoi An

Leaving Ho Chi Minh City, we fly to Danang (~ 1 hour) before continuing our journey to Hoi An by bus (~ 40 minutes).Once a thriving river port, Hoi An features beautifully preserved and restored architecture.Today, the residents trade in ceramics, wood-ware, paintings and tailoring and there's plenty of opportunity to pick up a memorable souvenir here. There's also a chance to learn the intricacies of Vietnamese cuisine in a cooking lesson.

November 6-7 Hue

Bus trip to Vietnam's north perhaps with a quick stop at China Beach and the Marble Mountains then continue to onwards, as we ascend the dramatic Hai Van Pass, before continuing through rural countryside to the picturesque fishing village of Lang Co. Arriving in Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam

We make a visit to the impressive Imperial Citadel, one of the Nguyen emperors' tombs and also enjoy a dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River (I am hoping thistranslates to someone else providing the power to navigate the boat in the river not me). Hue, also known as the centre of Buddhism and education in Vietnam, has a wealth of pagodas and monasteries. No guidebook, no problems - in Hue, there's always a student willing to be your personal guide and to show you the many secrets of this regal city (brings back memories of China and avoiding eye contact with the students who were relentless). Yeah, another market, the Dong Ba Market, which offers a plethora of goods and foods to see and sample, including some traditional Hue specialties.

In the evening we board an overnight train bound for Hanoi; conditions are basic and train cleanliness often not a priority for train staff (meaning bring a silk liner and be the first one to use the facilities in the morning). Sleeper trains typically have 4 berth compartments - I call bottom bunk and no "sharies" with anyone that talks in their sleep, snores or sleep walks.

November 8 Hanoi

We arrive in the morning to Hanoi. After freshening up at the hotel, we visit one of Intrepid's Resonsible Travel supported projects, the KOTO Youth Training Restaurant, for breakfast. This not-for-profit restaurant is dedicated to changing the lives of Vietnam's street children by giving them a chance to learn skills in hospitality. By dining here, not only will you get to sample delicious creations from the kitchen, but you'll also be helping disadvantaged kids gain skills for life. The rest of the day is free to explore.

November 9 HalongBay

A private bus trip to the famous Halong Bay (~4 hours), where we board a private boat and enjoy a sumptuous seafood lunch while cruising past some of the 3,000 limestone karsts in this World Heritage site. Afterwards, we explore caves with incredible formations of stalactites and stalagmites and enjoy the tranquility of this bay of wonders. A night spent on the boat is unforgettable - a wonderful way to soak up the serenity.

November 10 - 11 Hanoi

After dinner, another exciting adventure on the local sleeper (more like non-sleeper) train station bound for Sapa via the town of Lao Cai (~ 8hrs).I will try and remember lessons learned from my previous train excursion.

November 12 to 14 Sapa trek

On arrival in Lao Cai we are carted off by mini bus driving through dramatic scenery to Sapa, where we have the rest of the morning to explore or perhaps catch a few zzzz and a shower.

In the afternoon, a guided two to three hour moderate trek to the hill-tribe villages of Cat Cat - home to the H'mong people who originated from China about 300 years ago. The H'mong people are easily recognizable by their dark-blue or black clothing; the dye is made from the indigo plant which is native to the area. H'mong women wear long aprons with embroidered waist-coats and have their hair rolled up into a turban-like hat, while the men wear a black skullcap. Sounds like I may be busy with photo ops….there is just something about people that are different from what we are accustomed that is so intriguing just as they find us intriguing.

The following day we set off on a six hour guided trek along buffalo trails ( I will have to loose my goat impression and practice my angry buffalo cry), as well as through several hill-tribe villages and resident minority groups such as Red Zao and Tay people. This is a spectacular walk, winding through stunning scenery and superb rice paddy terrace cultivation, and encountering some of the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet; the night is spent in the home of a Zay family in Ta Van Village.

The next day is a two to three hour walk to Su Pan Village where we meet up with our vehicle for the 30 minute drive back to Sapa with more time to explore before catching the "luxury sleeper" train to Hanoi.

November 15 Hanoi

The train pulls in around 5am so I have the day to chill before catching my flight at 8:00 pm.